The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-18
ABOUT PURIFICATION.
The Theme of Elder Stayner's
Remarks,
AT THE TABERNACLE SUNDAY.
Elder Thomas Aubrey's Testt-
mony to the Truth.

Sunday afternoon last, was doubtless
affected by the chilly north wind, al
though the atmosphere was clear and
bright, and the auditorium was not sc
full as usual. The services were begun
by the choir and congregation singing
the hymn commencing:
The great and glorious gospel light
| Has ushered forth unto my sight
Which in my soul have received,
From bondage and from death relieved.
Prayer by Elder G. F. Wilcox.
The choir sang the hymn:
Behold the great Red eemer die,
| A broken law to satisfy;
| sc dies sacrifice Tor sin
That man live and glory win.
ELDER THOMAS AUBREY, not having
been accustomed to address so defensive
congregation, felt the Importance of
having the Spirit of God in order to say
something edifying and instructive. The
elders, he continued, were expected to
| be always ready at the call of the pre-
siding officers. There we're few, if any,
of the Latter-day Saints, who have no
testimony to bear to the truth of the
gospel. The Lord did not send forth
the elders to proclaim the truth without
giving them an assurance OF His aid.
The gospel is from God, the speaker as
serted; If 1t were not, there were many
members OF the church who would not
have become such. The elders pro-
claimed the gospel and supported their
testimonies By the Scriptures; it is the
gospel of life and salvation; it is the
everlasting gospel, and the Lord has set
His hand to bring to pass that which
He has revealed with regard to the sal
Vatlon of mankind. 1t is thought
strange by the world that so many
ilhterate men as are sent out by the
church; but Jesus sent His disciples,
Behold l send you in the midst of
wolves. But when they perse-
cute you in this city, flee We into
another So the elders go forth and
return and their reports are eagerly
listened to. The Savior's heart was
thankful for the protecting care OF His
Father over His disciples and the
apostles. Elder Aubrey declared that
God had conferred authority and power
upon the elders of the Latter-day
nations, and that they are now engaged
in the work of salvation. The majority
of the congregation, he said, had been
gathered from the nations of the earth
in this way. He had wondered, himself,
IN his young days, when he first heard
the principles of the gospel first
preached. His experiences were such
as all elders have when abroad as mis-
sionaries; he was rejected and cast out.
There was similarity, he continued,
between the experiences of the elders
nowadays and those of the days of the
prophets and apostles. The work of
God was rejected by the world and
strenuously opposed by Satan's
emissaries. How many are willing to
receive the elders with their testimon-
ies2 1t would be supposed that man
with the testimony of Jesus ought to be
received, inasmuch as he went forth
and officiated in the name of the Lord.
The Latter-day Saint elders speak the
truth as it is, according to the mind of
the Almighty. But it is as Jesus said:
"My sheep hear My voice" Many
thought that things did not
move along as smoothly and
pleasantly as they should; but
such we're reminded that the hand
of the Lord was at the helm and He
would override for the good of all and
the accomplishment of HIS purposes.
The speaker was glad to know that he
lived in the last dispensation. 1t is
beyond the appreciation of mortals to
realize that the Saints had the true and
everlasting gospel. He bore his testi-
mony to the truth which the Saints
taught; that the preparations for the
Second Coming of the Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ were being made. Whose
ever will humble himself and be
baptized, will be privileged to enjoy
the blessings and freedom of the gospel.
He knew God would bless His people if
they proved faithful. 1t is the duty of
all to be interested in His work; if they
do, God will be with them. He closed
by invoking the Almighty's blessing on
Israel, and prayed for the growth of
Zion; the spread of truth.
ELDER ARTHUR J. STAYNER began his
address by saying be would read brief
passage from the Doctrine and Coven-
ants, but before doing so, he would ex-
plain for the benefit of those not mem
bers of the church, that the book was
made up of revelations given to the
church at various times during its early
history, and while the faith of the
SAINTS was grounded on those revela-
tons, they also believed the Bible as
history of the doings Of God with His
people at different periods of the past;
q history also of the divine teachings of
the Savior; an inspired book, containing
many plain and precious truths, which
are useful in obtaining salvation. But
The Book of Doctrine and Covenants is
lust as much an i-spired book as the
Bible, originating as it did from the
Diety, with the difference that the re
yelations contained therein were given
fresh from the mouth of the Almighty
This may appear startling, but, it was
nevertheless true. Human nature re-
belled against anything new and out OF
| the common run of things. 1t is the
truth, regardless of the garb it ap
peared in. Revelations by which
higher glory in the celestial world
might be attained were contained
therein God had set His hand to COM
plete His latter-day work. Although
new. it WIS the old law: Thou shall
love thy ueigl Dor as thyself.'" In the
wisdom of God this was again revealed